The Robert Stern Family Foundation
The Robert Stern Family Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. The foundation operates as an invite-only grantmaker that does not accept unsolicited applications.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.5M
-1.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$261K
-19.5% YoY
Grant Count
24
-4.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$11K
-16.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert Stern Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $240K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Stern Family Charitable Trust was developed to provide resources for people who have encountered adversity and to assist in opening a path toward success. The foundation's grants and scholarships focus on causes that can make meaningful, immediate, and direct impact on individuals and their communities.
The foundation's mission is to lend a hand to those whose circumstances have not provided a level playing field of opportunities for success.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
Grantmaking
The foundation provides assistance through:
Grant Range
$4,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, New York, and Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $3,514,094
Annual Giving: $259,000–$260,506
Giving Rate: 7.4% of assets
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,514,094 | $3,571,091 | $2,364,086 |
| Revenue | $219,936 | $1,658,400 | $401,855 |
| Expenses | $397,642 | $451,395 | $389,094 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $300,224 | $364,407 | $302,113 |
| Net Investment Income | $121,911 | $106,542 | $61,027 |
| Distributable Amount | $240,210 | $173,263 | $180,403 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania ($150,506), Pleiades Network for Fork in the Road ($20,000), The Syv Family School ($20,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ARTS OUTREACH LOS OLIVOS, CA | CHARITABLE | $1,000 |
| CLIENT EARTH CALABASAS, CA | CHARITABLE | $500 |
| EARTHJUSTICE SAN FRANCISCO, CA | CHARITABLE | $500 |
| FRIENDS OF THE LOS ALAMOS PUBLIC LIBRARY LOS ALAMOS, CA | CHARITABLE | $2,500 |
| GLOBAL HEALTH WORKS FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | CHARITABLE | $5,000 |
| HIMALAYAN HEALTH CARE INC NEW YORK, NY | CHARITABLE | $2,000 |
| JUNIOR MILERS HINESBURG, VT | CHARITABLE | $1,000 |
| LEE PESKY LEARNING CENTER BOISE, ID | CHARITABLE | $6,000 |
| LYME AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION HADLYME, CT | CHARITABLE | $1,000 |
| LYME FIRE DEPARTMENT LYME, CT | CHARITABLE | $1,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT STERN | PRESIDENT | 15 | $12,000 |
| KATHRYN HAYS GONNION | TREASURER | 15 | $12,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced congratulations to 2025 scholarship recipients. Applications for new scholarship candidates are accepted starting January 1, 2026 through April 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Robert Stern Family Foundation fund?
The Stern Family Charitable Trust was developed to provide resources for people who have encountered adversity and to assist in opening a path toward success. The foundation's grants and scholarships focus on causes that can make meaningful, immediate, and direct impact on individuals and their communities. The foundation's mission is to lend a hand to those whose circumstances have not provided a level playing field of opportunities for success. Primary funding areas include: • Education • Phi…
How do I apply for a grant from The Robert Stern Family Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: Approximately $259,000–$260,506 • Number of grants: 20 grants annually • Median grant size: $4,000 • Grant range: $1,000–$151,000 **Award Types:** The foundation provides assistance through: • Educational scholarships • Individual hardship assistance • Targeted community giving **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.
Where does The Robert Stern Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, New York, and Connecticut.
What size grants does The Robert Stern Family Foundation award?
In 2024, The Robert Stern Family Foundation awarded 24 grants totaling $261K — an average of about $11K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Robert Stern Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Robert Stern Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $240K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Robert Stern Family Foundation's EIN?
The Robert Stern Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1654921. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Robert Stern Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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